Clash Of The Rockbands
Preservation
Daphne’s POV
I loaded my last suitcase into the trunk of Melrose’s Monte Carlo before slamming the trunk closed. I sauntered over to the small group of people there to see my departure. Rayne, Jen, AM, and Kim all smiled weakly at me. I knew they hated to see me leave. I hated to see me leave. I liked Huntington Beach, now that I could actually enjoy it.
But Melrose swore to the ceiling that I could come visit whenever I had a chance. I wouldn’t have much of a chance anytime soon, since I had to start my own life, but that would be okay. I’d see them all again eventually.
All four of them wrapped me in a tight, sisterly embrace, one by one. They murmured the usual words of departure in my ear as we hugged: “Be good.” “Don’t get arrested.” “Good luck in life.” “See you again sometime, Daphs.” And, my personal favorite, from Kim: “Always use protection.”
“Thanks for the tip, Kim,” I said with a light laugh. She smirked and gave me the thumbs up.
“What did you tell her?” Melrose asked.
“Nothing...” Kim answered instantly, looking away. Melrose smiled, but didn’t push it.
“Bye, guys!” I said as I backed towards Melrose’s car. “I’ll miss you all!”
“We’ll miss you too!” they replied. I climbed into the passenger seat of Melrose’s Monte Carlo as she climbed in the driver’s seat. Melrose backed out of the driveway. The four girls waved as we drove away. I waved back, already missing them.
**********
“That’s my flight.” I told Melrose as a female voice came over the speakers at the terminal, announcing a departing flight. We both rose to our feet.
“There are so many things I could tell you right now.” Melrose said. “I could tell you to behave yourself, treat yourself right, focus on your goals, accomplish your dreams. But I’m not your mother. So, I’ll do the sisterly thing. We’ll hug, say our good-byes, and I’ll leave you to find your own way.” I smiled at her before we wrapped each other in a tight embrace. “I love you, Daph. Call me if you need anything.” We pulled away. I could see tears in Melrose’s eyes. I knew she still worried about me, but she trusted me enough to know I would never do that again.
“I love you too, Mel.” I told her. We gathered up my things and took it over to where it would load onto the plane. Before I passed through security, though, Melrose grabbed my arm one last time. I turned to her.
“Be good to yourself. I care about you, Daphne, and if ever you feel like no one cares anymore, call me, and I’ll let you know who still cares.” she said. I nodded. She pulled me into a fleeting hug before pushing me gently towards where everyone was going through security. “Go live your life, Daphne, and go live it well.”
“I will.” I reassured her. “I will.”
**********
“Thanks.” I climbed out of my friend’s car and dragged all my stuff out of her trunk. I slammed the trunk door shut, and she slowly drove away.
With a low sigh, I turned around and faced the cozy two-story house. It would be my home forever. I knew that already. I would never have the guts to sell something so dear and so closely related to my parents. It was nearly paid off, and I could afford whatever payments there were left. Their cars were left to my name, both of them paid off. Even though I didn’t have parents anymore, they left me with the best possible outcome there could be.
I walked over to the front door and pulled the key out of my purse. I stuck it in the doorknob and unlocked the door. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the front door open.
I stepped into the familiar living room. I stood there and soaked in the room before continuing on through the room and down the hall. I climbed up the narrow staircase, my bags bumping against the walls. I stepped into my room and deposited my bags there before heading into the one room I needed to face: my parents’ bedroom.
I stepped back out onto the landing. The closed bedroom door taunted me. It was one more obstacle I had to get past to achieve full recovery from my parents’ deaths. I crossed the landing and swiftly pushed the door open without any hesitation. Hesitation translated to fear, and I wasn’t scared. There aren’t words that could describe my emotions.
The bedroom looked exactly like my parents had left it. And I bet it would remain that way until I was forced to change it. The chocolate brown sheets on the bed sat perfectly made. I could almost visualize Mom meticulously straightening the sheets every morning after breakfast, humming a pleasant tune. On the tall dresser sat lots of framed pictures. I walked over and studied them.
I saw a picture from Melrose’s senior pictures. Her hair remained un-streaked, but her smile was as bright as ever. There was a picture from my senior pictures as well. There was one of her at prom, and me at prom, except mine was only junior year. There was a picture of The Better Halves, proudly holding their first record contract. I smiled at their excited faces, running my thumb over the picture to cast away the dust. I saw ones of my parents when they were teenagers. Their wedding picture sat next to it. And, in the center of the group of pictures, the biggest of all, sat a recent family photo. We all looked the same; it was only a couple of years previously. Melrose had her crazy colored hair, but it was hidden a little since she wore her hair half back. I smiled. We all looked so happy, so unaware of how wrecked and fucked up our lives would become in a couple of years.
I wondered what my parents would think of me. Would they scold me for trying to commit suicide? Or would they be sympathetic about it? They would probably be sympathetic about it. You just couldn’t lecture about some things.
I stepped back from the photographs. My eyes scanned the room. This would be how it would remain for as long as possible. I would never change this room unless I absolutely had to. My parents were the kind of people who preferred to preserve things. That’s why we had so many photo albums, and probably a whole bunch of home videos, lying around. Mom wanted to preserve our fun forever.
Standing there, in the middle of my parents’ bedroom, I decided on one thing: I would preserve my parents, in my heart and mind and soul, forever.
I loaded my last suitcase into the trunk of Melrose’s Monte Carlo before slamming the trunk closed. I sauntered over to the small group of people there to see my departure. Rayne, Jen, AM, and Kim all smiled weakly at me. I knew they hated to see me leave. I hated to see me leave. I liked Huntington Beach, now that I could actually enjoy it.
But Melrose swore to the ceiling that I could come visit whenever I had a chance. I wouldn’t have much of a chance anytime soon, since I had to start my own life, but that would be okay. I’d see them all again eventually.
All four of them wrapped me in a tight, sisterly embrace, one by one. They murmured the usual words of departure in my ear as we hugged: “Be good.” “Don’t get arrested.” “Good luck in life.” “See you again sometime, Daphs.” And, my personal favorite, from Kim: “Always use protection.”
“Thanks for the tip, Kim,” I said with a light laugh. She smirked and gave me the thumbs up.
“What did you tell her?” Melrose asked.
“Nothing...” Kim answered instantly, looking away. Melrose smiled, but didn’t push it.
“Bye, guys!” I said as I backed towards Melrose’s car. “I’ll miss you all!”
“We’ll miss you too!” they replied. I climbed into the passenger seat of Melrose’s Monte Carlo as she climbed in the driver’s seat. Melrose backed out of the driveway. The four girls waved as we drove away. I waved back, already missing them.
**********
“That’s my flight.” I told Melrose as a female voice came over the speakers at the terminal, announcing a departing flight. We both rose to our feet.
“There are so many things I could tell you right now.” Melrose said. “I could tell you to behave yourself, treat yourself right, focus on your goals, accomplish your dreams. But I’m not your mother. So, I’ll do the sisterly thing. We’ll hug, say our good-byes, and I’ll leave you to find your own way.” I smiled at her before we wrapped each other in a tight embrace. “I love you, Daph. Call me if you need anything.” We pulled away. I could see tears in Melrose’s eyes. I knew she still worried about me, but she trusted me enough to know I would never do that again.
“I love you too, Mel.” I told her. We gathered up my things and took it over to where it would load onto the plane. Before I passed through security, though, Melrose grabbed my arm one last time. I turned to her.
“Be good to yourself. I care about you, Daphne, and if ever you feel like no one cares anymore, call me, and I’ll let you know who still cares.” she said. I nodded. She pulled me into a fleeting hug before pushing me gently towards where everyone was going through security. “Go live your life, Daphne, and go live it well.”
“I will.” I reassured her. “I will.”
**********
“Thanks.” I climbed out of my friend’s car and dragged all my stuff out of her trunk. I slammed the trunk door shut, and she slowly drove away.
With a low sigh, I turned around and faced the cozy two-story house. It would be my home forever. I knew that already. I would never have the guts to sell something so dear and so closely related to my parents. It was nearly paid off, and I could afford whatever payments there were left. Their cars were left to my name, both of them paid off. Even though I didn’t have parents anymore, they left me with the best possible outcome there could be.
I walked over to the front door and pulled the key out of my purse. I stuck it in the doorknob and unlocked the door. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the front door open.
I stepped into the familiar living room. I stood there and soaked in the room before continuing on through the room and down the hall. I climbed up the narrow staircase, my bags bumping against the walls. I stepped into my room and deposited my bags there before heading into the one room I needed to face: my parents’ bedroom.
I stepped back out onto the landing. The closed bedroom door taunted me. It was one more obstacle I had to get past to achieve full recovery from my parents’ deaths. I crossed the landing and swiftly pushed the door open without any hesitation. Hesitation translated to fear, and I wasn’t scared. There aren’t words that could describe my emotions.
The bedroom looked exactly like my parents had left it. And I bet it would remain that way until I was forced to change it. The chocolate brown sheets on the bed sat perfectly made. I could almost visualize Mom meticulously straightening the sheets every morning after breakfast, humming a pleasant tune. On the tall dresser sat lots of framed pictures. I walked over and studied them.
I saw a picture from Melrose’s senior pictures. Her hair remained un-streaked, but her smile was as bright as ever. There was a picture from my senior pictures as well. There was one of her at prom, and me at prom, except mine was only junior year. There was a picture of The Better Halves, proudly holding their first record contract. I smiled at their excited faces, running my thumb over the picture to cast away the dust. I saw ones of my parents when they were teenagers. Their wedding picture sat next to it. And, in the center of the group of pictures, the biggest of all, sat a recent family photo. We all looked the same; it was only a couple of years previously. Melrose had her crazy colored hair, but it was hidden a little since she wore her hair half back. I smiled. We all looked so happy, so unaware of how wrecked and fucked up our lives would become in a couple of years.
I wondered what my parents would think of me. Would they scold me for trying to commit suicide? Or would they be sympathetic about it? They would probably be sympathetic about it. You just couldn’t lecture about some things.
I stepped back from the photographs. My eyes scanned the room. This would be how it would remain for as long as possible. I would never change this room unless I absolutely had to. My parents were the kind of people who preferred to preserve things. That’s why we had so many photo albums, and probably a whole bunch of home videos, lying around. Mom wanted to preserve our fun forever.
Standing there, in the middle of my parents’ bedroom, I decided on one thing: I would preserve my parents, in my heart and mind and soul, forever.
♠ ♠ ♠
Heyloo.OMG! Alert the media! I got another comment! In celebration, I'm posting more chapters. =}